Charley Young
Cinematic Pop Singer & Songwriter

Suraaj Parab (00:59.086) Today's guest is Charley Young, a multidisciplinary artist spanning music, acting, and athletics. Raised between California and Florida's Gulf Coast, she was shaped early by water, discipline, and performance. She's an award-winning independent artist and a Recording Academy voting member whose work has charted globally. Today, we are exploring her journey and the stories behind her art. Welcome, Charley, to The Artist Conversation, the Sanctuary of Frozen Souls podcast.

Charley Young Thank you guys very much for having me. Like I said, I'm very honored to be here.

Sandeep Kulkarni We are excited to have you over here. Let's get right into it. While we were going through your profile, it was pretty interesting to read, and I started following your work as well. Tell us, you grew up between San Diego and a barrier island in Florida. How did living around water and isolation shape you before you knew you'd be a swimmer and an artist?

Charley Young Nature is a very big thing in my life and, therefore, in my art. I kind of consider myself a pantheist in a way; I feel like I'm a very spiritual person as a whole. I feel more connected to the realm beyond ours and to the universe whenever I'm around nature. As an artist, I feel like I'm actually channeling. It's not just me—I'm basically a vessel, for lack of a better term, for the universe to channel through.

There's a guy who has become a friend of mine, Mark Marcel, who was nominated for Best Spoken Word Album for his record Black Shaman. I really resonate with his work because it's how I work too, being that it's not just about me; I'm channeling a message from the universe. That's not me saying that I'm a god, demigod, or prophet—that would be crazy! But nature was there before human beings, and it'll be there if we ever go extinct. For me, it's just inspirational. I look out at the water and think, how can you not be inspired by everything around you? Everything is a miracle.

Sandeep Kulkarni That's awesome. When Suraaj told me about you and I started listening to your stuff, I could feel that connection to nature and your surroundings.

Suraaj Parab The ultimate form of spirituality is seeing nature and the universe itself as that guiding force. We all get inspired by what we see every day, so I completely connect with what you're saying.

Suraaj Parab (04:18.062) If you're liking this episode, make sure you subscribe to our YouTube channel and follow us on Discord. Look for the links in the description. Charley, tell me: you were placed at center stage at a very young age. Did performing feel like freedom or pressure? How did you feel being seen on stage or by the media for the first time?

Charley Young That's a great question, Suraaj. I never felt pressure. In fact, I was immediately connected to entertainment as a young girl. I just loved film and music, and it was always around me. My mom was an aerobics instructor, so she had all these cassette tapes and CDs around the house. It was a natural progression. I started off doing ballet as a five-year-old—I still have a picture of me in my little pink daisy costume, it's really cute!

When I was young, it was really fun and joyful. It wasn't until I got older and experienced some trauma in my life that my perfectionist tendencies bled over into my entertainment work. But when I first started as a kid, it was pure fun. Every time I could put on a performance, whether it was on an actual stage or just in the bedroom of my grandparents' house, I would be there.

Sandeep Kulkarni And was this in California or Florida?

Charley Young This was in Florida. I moved from California when I was pretty young, so I didn't really start performing until I was about five years old.

Sandeep Kulkarni Wow, five years old. That is such an early age to be shaped by the stage.

Charley Young I adore the mediums of music, film, and storytelling—ultimately, all of it is storytelling, and that is a massive part of my life. My maternal grandfather was always telling stories, so I was just constantly surrounded by that appreciation for narrative.

Suraaj Parab You mentioned that you practiced ballet. I've always found that art form incredibly difficult, standing on your toes and dealing with all those blisters. Huge respect to you for practicing ballet.

Charley Young (08:09.154) Your respect might go down a little bit because I transitioned pretty shortly after to musical theater, which leans more into jazz dancing. I never danced on pointe, if that's what you're asking! I've done ballroom, jazz, and ballet, but as an adult, I would say ballroom is my most recent dancing experience.

Sandeep Kulkarni Does all of that background come together to help in musical theater?

Charley Young (08:54.242) It's funny because on paper, someone looking at me would say, "Well, you act and you sing; musical theater is a shoe-in for you." But while entertaining started as just pure fun, I ended up joining a very rigorous musical theater group from the age of 11 until 18. People who graduated from this program have major network TV shows now—artists like Abigail Spencer and Katie Mixon came through it. It was incredible preparation, but that's exactly when the element of perfectionism crept in.

Because Abigail and Katie are older than me, I didn't have any interaction with them. But some of the kids in my specific age group were just awful. They were so mean. When you are learning a new song that someone else wrote, you're bound to make a few mistakes at first. We would be sitting in rows learning a piece, and this kid turned around to me and said, "Wrong note." I was like, "Turn around! I'm learning a new song, I'm sorry I didn't get the note perfectly right the first time!"

Sandeep Kulkarni (11:16.984) We all make mistakes. I can totally relate to that as a singer. I've been singing since 1992 across both Indian classical and Western styles, and it happens a lot where people immediately jump in to say a note or a variation wasn't right. Who cares? If it's a cover or an interpretation, the whole point isn't to make a carbon copy. If people want an exact copy, they should just go listen to the original record!

Charley Young Exactly! Hello, it's your interpretation. I hate that critical attitude so much.

Sandeep Kulkarni I quickly wanted to ask you about musical theater, because I've never done it but people tell me I have the voice for it. I've been taking lessons recently with a husband-and-wife duo from New Hampshire who are heavily into musical theater, and they keep telling me I could land roles as a bass-baritone. I speak my mind and I'm very blunt, but I absolutely love the baritone voice—it’s the most beautiful male vocal range to me. Back in high school, I used to secretly make fun of the fact that I could sing really low but still hit some of the same notes as the tenors.

Charley Young (13:25.73) That is cool.

Sandeep Kulkarni Suraaj actually challenged me once to do an Italian song in an operatic voice, and I did it. We even did a gig in India recently where we played our original songs, and I performed that Italian opera track live for the first time. The funny thing is, I don't speak Italian, and I don't even eat Italian food!

Charley Young It's so funny you say that, Sandeep, because when I first started taking voice lessons, I trained using Italian arias, and I still practice them. I actually trained with them just two hours before getting on this call! As a vocalist, I work hard on my craft just like a pianist works on scales or a guitarist works on chords. Practicing Italian arias classical-style builds a foundation. They say if you can sing classical music cleanly, you can transition into singing anything.

Sandeep Kulkarni (15:29.878) Absolutely. When Suraaj first challenged me, I had a basic melody and story idea, so we got someone to write the Italian lyrics for us. The writer recorded a rough vocal demo so I could understand the phrasing, and then I sat down on a Zoom call with a colleague from Sicily who helped me perfect the correct pronunciation before we tracked it right here.

Charley Young You have to send that to me, seriously! I want to hear it. No judgment at all. My other language is French and I often don't even know what I'm saying, so my pronunciation is probably not 100% correct either. Who am I to judge?

Sandeep Kulkarni Moving on, your life has demanded intense discipline across swimming, academics, acting, and music. Did that rigid discipline ever feel like a refuge, and when did you realize you needed to redefine it for your own well-being?

Charley Young Wow, that is an incredible question. No one has ever put it that way before—discipline as a refuge. But that is an absolute truth; it completely was a refuge for me.

When my maternal grandfather passed away, it was an unexpected, traumatic tragedy that I don't think I'll ever truly get over. He was a profound father figure to me and was incredibly integral to my early years. He would play guitar while I sang with him. When he died, it completely flipped my world. I was 11 years old and only three weeks away from my first major performance with that musical theater troupe.

After he passed, I completely buried myself in my work because, as a child, I couldn't process that level of emotional trauma. His death is what explicitly triggered my eating disorder, anorexia nervosa. A lot of people don't understand that eating disorders are highly paradoxical—they are not actually about food. They are about control. I couldn't control what happened to my grandfather. Everyone was bringing over food for my grandmother, but I didn't want food; I just wanted my grandpa back.

[Image showing the interconnectedness of trauma, a need for control, and eating disorders]

My eating disorder and my discipline unfortunately fused together in a negative way. However, I eventually worked with a psychiatrist who helped me channel that intense discipline into positive endeavors instead. Because I was a frail gymnast, ballerina, and soccer player, he steered me toward swimming because the water physically supports your body when you are thin and weak. That childhood trauma created a desperate need for structure, and I had to learn how to implement it safely through athletics and art rather than through self-destruction.

Suraaj Parab I can deeply relate to this because I also fell into a severe eating disorder path. Let me show you a photo from when I was 21 years old—I'm 32 now.

Charley Young Oh my gosh, is that you? You don't even look like the same person! You look older in that picture.

Sandeep Kulkarni He was a completely different guy when I met him. He was a very big, tall guy. He has essentially lost the equivalent of an entire person.

Suraaj Parab In that picture, I weighed 146 kilograms, which is over 320 pounds, with a 46-inch waist. I can completely relate to how an eating disorder feels and how incredibly difficult the recovery process is. Not everyone makes it out.

Charley Young Thank you for sharing that. It truly is a lifelong journey to overcome. I tell people it's very similar to battling an alcohol or drug addiction. Because mine triggered so early at 11 years old, it's a reality I live with daily, but I’ve learned to tell that voice: "I'm in charge now, not you. Thank you for your input, but it's not welcome here."

Sandeep Kulkarni At the end of the day, you are the one in control of your life. It's incredibly easy for external people to chime in with their opinions, but if you ask too many people for advice, you just become deeply confused. If you ask 20 people, you'll get 20 different opinions and your mind will explode.

Suraaj Parab I deeply admire that you are so open to talking about anorexia. Many people who suffer from eating disorders hide it because they fear social judgment. When you were recovering, how did your relationship with your body alter your perspective on music and art?

Charley Young Brain imaging shows that the neural mechanisms activated in eating disorders are identical to those in substance addiction. I battled it severely for 17 years of my life, navigating cycles of relapse and recovery. Relapsing can be a normal part of the broader recovery process; if you screw up the first time you try to learn a complex piece of music, it doesn't mean you stop trying to learn the song.

The major turning point occurred when I was pursuing my Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in acting. I am a massive advocate for therapy for everyone. While in graduate school, I connected with a brilliant therapist who was also a musician—a drummer. He helped me give myself permission to back off the rigid discipline and stop punishing myself.

When you recover from an eating disorder, your body initially hoards nutrients to achieve an equilibrium, causing your weight to fluctuate. I remember during that recovery phase, I was dating a guy—and "asshole" would be a much better term for him. It was my birthday weekend in New York City, and I was entirely paying for our hotel room. It was 2:00 AM, I was exhausted, and this guy turned to me and said, "You know, Charley, it looks like you've gained a little bit of weight." On my birthday weekend, in a room I paid for! I immediately told him to get the fuck out. He tried to apologize, but unhealed me would have freaked out and starved myself; healed me recognized that he had absolutely no power over me.

People look at my music sometimes and assume I hate men, but that couldn't be further from the truth—most of my closest friends are guys! But I will absolutely call out toxic behavior. Reaching the end of that 17-year ordeal taught me to stop trying to please everyone else. I am naturally muscular, not a size two, and if people have an issue with that, it's a "them" problem, not a "me" problem. I make music to empower anyone who has fought through demons and crossed lines of trauma to stand firmly in their own power.

Sandeep Kulkarni (30:26.176) That is incredibly powerful. We actually have another thing in common—I have an MFA as well!

Charley Young Oh wow! I went to the Actors Studio Drama School at Pace University in New York. Where did you do yours?

Sandeep Kulkarni I received a full scholarship from the University of Cincinnati for my MFA in Electronic Arts, focusing on VFX, animation, and digital media. Years ago, I was one of the few students explicitly merging fine art concepts with digital animation. It was a wonderful, interdisciplinary experience working alongside painters, photographers, and printmakers.

Charley Young (31:58.254) I absolutely love interdisciplinary environments. Learning from creators who operate in completely different mediums is so inspiring.

Sandeep Kulkarni I'm originally from Mumbai, back when it was commonly called Bombay, which is exactly where Suraaj is sitting right now.

Charley Young A close friend of mine from grad school is in Mumbai right now acting and producing indie and Bollywood films! She’s half-Indian and half-Greek, grew up in Southern California, and decided to capitalize on the fact that she speaks fluent Hindi by moving to Mumbai. It's a small world. Working in corporate tech now, I rarely meet fellow MFAs—everyone usually holds a Master's in Computer Science. When I tell them I have an MFA, they're always surprised.

Sandeep Kulkarni Exactly! You're like, "I can animate Mickey Mouse, you can't!"

Moving forward: swimming is an entirely inward, solitary pursuit, whereas acting and music are highly outward and expressive. How does your time in the solitary water prepare you emotionally for the camera or the stage?

Charley Young I swam competitively in college, and a lot of college athletes completely hang up their goggles and never touch the sport again once they graduate. But because swimming was an integral pillar of my clinical recovery, it remains deeply therapeutic for me.

By nature, I am a massive people person. I love meeting individuals from diverse countries and learning from different cultural backgrounds. Growing up, I didn't want to just hang out with the standard kids down the street; I wanted to be friends with the international exchange students so I could expand my worldview.

Because I love people so much, swimming serves as a necessary refuge from the noise. In 2011, when smartphones, emails, and texts suddenly became a 24/7 stream, my anxiety spiked significantly. Swimming is the only exercise where I physically cannot bring my phone into the pool. It forces my active, curious mind to entirely decompress. Even though you are floating rather than standing on solid earth, it is profoundly centering and grounding. It acts like a spiritual cleansing process; I always exit the pool in a completely restored headspace.

Sandeep Kulkarni I can completely relate. I started swimming regularly in my neighborhood pool recently, and it completely calms me down. When I was visiting Mumbai this past December, I would look down at the beautiful hotel pool from the 10th floor and wait until 7:30 or 8:00 PM when all the kids had left. It was empty, peaceful, and therapeutic. Have you ever tried physically singing while inside the pool?

Charley Young (39:40.366) I'll hum underwater sometimes, but that's about it!

Sandeep Kulkarni Growing up learning music in India, I remember reading that practicing vocal warm-ups while submerged chin-deep in water provides excellent resistance and support. When the pool is completely empty in the morning, I'll stand there doing my vocal scales underwater. It feels incredible.

Charley Young (40:29.262) I always practice my singing immediately after I swim because the continuous breath control moves your diaphragm so much, which expands your vocal delivery.

Regarding annoying pool environments: I can be like those two grumpy old puppets, Statler and Waldorf, who sit in the balcony on The Muppets making fun of everyone. When I'm trying to have a centering spiritual experience in the water and kids are screaming bloody murder, I am not afraid to tell them to take it down a notch!

The pool I train at is an indoor facility right on the beach on Pensacola Beach barrier island, so it attracts a ton of tourists. There is a bar located right outside the pool deck, and parents will frequently get drunk on margaritas, hand their kids an iPad, and let them run wild as a total menace to everyone else. It makes me wonder why I have to step in and parent your child. Those kids grow up without anyone teaching them how to respect public spaces.

Suraaj Parab You are a true creative warrior—a competitive swimmer, a musical theater performer, a global singer, a vocal coach, and a survivor. I have watched your music videos for tracks like "Bizarre Love Triangle", "Liar", and especially the exceptional production design on "Sugar". You went far beyond the standard role of a vocalist by stepping up to produce your own music videos. Did managing the harsh corporate side of production ever threaten your love for art, or did it empower your independence?

Charley Young (44:14.176) I'm going to tell the absolute truth here because my dad always taught me from a young age that the truth will set you free; if you tell the truth, you never have to waste energy remembering lies. One of my absolute deal-breakers in life is dishonesty—the second I catch someone lying, I cut them out of my orbit immediately.

The unfortunate reality of the music industry is that many people on the business side become completely hollow, obsessing entirely over outside validation, accolades, or making a quick buck. I am certainly not opposed to making a profit from my art, but people frequently discard their artistic integrity in the process.

When I first entered the entertainment industry, I never imagined in a million years that I would be producing my own content. But I quickly realized that no one is going to hand you a golden opportunity on a silver platter at your doorstep. If you want to manifest a vision, you have to physically build it yourself.

I decided to be the change I wanted to see. On my music video sets, I explicitly build female-driven production crews, intentionally hiring women, people of color, and individuals from underrepresented backgrounds in film. I want to collaborate with professionals who offer a fresh, distinct point of view. I view my platform as a strict mission to empower others. I want to achieve massive commercial success specifically so I can use that capital to fund opportunities for others. I like to sleep soundly at night, and I don't understand how corrupt executives can rest when their entire wealth is built on exploitation.

Sandeep Kulkarni We can relate to that completely. It comes down to basic morals and conscience.

Charley Young Speaking of the upcoming Grammy Awards, I had an ex-boyfriend who perfectly embodies that lack of a conscience. When his father tragically passed away from cancer, I stayed by his side to support him through his grief. Yet, when I begged him to attend the SAG Awards with me, he completely blew me off. Later, he showed up at my birthday party, ruined the evening, and invited toxic people to the table I had personally paid for.

Now that I am an official voting member of the Recording Academy and posted about my gratitude for the community, this same guy suddenly pops back into my life asking if I need a date to the Grammys or if I want to fly to Mexico with him. I am not stupid. I am deeply grateful to be a completely independent artist because I can run an honest, fair production set. I want to cultivate a pure community of good-hearted creators where we all lift each other up to win together.

Sandeep Kulkarni That is beautiful. And that iconic quote, "Be the change you wish to see in the world," comes directly from Mahatma Gandhi.

Charley Young (51:02.776) Even though I was raised with Christian tenets, I have deeply integrated many Eastern philosophies and Buddhist principles into my daily life. I frequently wear a sitting Buddha because the core tenants of Hinduism and Buddhism deeply resonate with me—for instance, I don't eat beef out of respect for the cow. Because I've been exposed to these broader, beautiful cultural viewpoints, I can't just limit my identity to the small, insulated mindset of a single local neighborhood.

Suraaj Parab That openness is the hallmark of a true artist. I was born Hindu and have spent my life studying philosophy, reading the Bible, the Quran, and the Bhagavad Gita twice over to absorb universal truths. True art requires you to remain open to everything.

Charley Young Exactly. At their core, the major spiritual paths are all mirroring the exact same message: treat others with the exact same respect and kindness that you wish to receive.

Sandeep Kulkarni That reminds me of an excellent quote often attributed to Eminem: "I don't care if you're black, white, straight, gay, rich, or poor. If you're good to me, I'll be good to you. As simple as that."

Regarding our diverse backgrounds, I grew up in a traditional Hindu family in India but attended a strict convent school from kindergarten through high school. We would enter the church every single morning before classes started. I have spent more time inside churches than temples, but I have also prayed in mosques and frequently visit Sikh temples to participate in Seva—the beautiful practice of selflessly cooking and serving free meals to the community. In India, our culture is beautifully colorful; everyone enthusiastically celebrates both Diwali and Christmas.

Charley Young I didn't know that! That is absolutely beautiful. I love learning about the Festival of Colors and all those rich traditions.

Sandeep Kulkarni (54:38.19) To pivot back to your music: your independent work beautifully blends cinematic storytelling, structural feminism, and deep visual themes, which is incredibly apparent on your track "Your Fire". How do you strike a balance between projecting a powerful societal message and maintaining authentic, un-preachy art?

Charley Young The ultimate target is to deliver a definitive point of view without sounding preachy or clinical. The general public possesses an innate, built-in radar that instantly spots inauthenticity or corporate posturing.

My parents sometimes listen to my tracks and worry that the lyrics make it sound like I hate men, but that couldn't be further from the truth. I love men; I am simply disappointed in the specific ones I foolishly chose to date in the past! That's my bad choice. I never want my discography to be pigeonholed as exclusive only to angry feminists or a single demographic. I have a massive base of male fans who continuously engage with the art.

As an actor or a songwriter, your job isn't to be a professional liar; it’s to discover the hidden piece of yourself that exists within a character or a lyric and bring it to light. In the music video for "Sugar", I play three distinct, flirty versions of myself. In "Your Fire", I project a commanding, superhero-esque feminist energy—and both elements are authentic parts of my actual personality.

As long as my work stems from personal truth, I don't stress over external reception. The modern world can be incredibly challenging, and many people compartmentalize or lie to themselves simply as a psychological coping mechanism to survive the anxieties of the post-pandemic landscape. But as an artist, you must possess the bravery to act as a trailblazer, showing reality exactly as it is and giving the public permission to feel. If my music video helps someone process a tragedy or navigate a dark chapter, that is my ultimate mission. It took me 17 years to grant myself permission to be fully myself, and I want my art to serve as an emotional shortcut for others so they don't have to suffer through that same extended hardship.

Sandeep Kulkarni The audience can absolutely read right through the screen. When an artist is uncompromisingly true to their craft, the visual narrative speaks clearly for itself.

Charley Young That's why I respectfully decline external songs submitted to me if I cannot find an authentic psychological entry point. If I project a fake persona to the world, I am violating my core purpose of being of service to others.

If I encounter toxic people in the industry, I don't fake a superficial smile or pretend we are close; I simply act as if they are not in the room. I don't wish them any ill will, but I refuse to feed that negative orbit.

Suraaj Parab You have walked historic red carpets and are now entering the global arena as a voting member for the Grammy Awards. Has this level of elite institutional access altered your internal definition of success?

Charley Young (01:03:19.982) When I tracked my very first EP alongside a Grammy-nominated producer, I remember he applied for Recording Academy membership and was rejected. It shocked me and made me think that if a literal nominee couldn't get in, I shouldn't even bother trying! But I kept a goal written on my studio whiteboard to find a path to get one of my self-produced music videos onto the first-round Grammy ballot.

Years later, my publicist wrote a formal recommendation, a prominent mixing engineer who sits on the Academy's Board of Governors added his backing, and I was officially accepted as a voting member. I was in complete shock for a week. Five years prior, that reality felt entirely impossible.

While charting globally on iTunes is validating, external accolades are no longer my definition of success. Success is the incredible community of brilliant creators I now get to learn from and support. True success is surround-sound alignment with individuals who uplift your spirit.

Sandeep Kulkarni It is a profoundly humbling experience to pull back the curtain and realize you are collaborating as peers alongside legends whose work you have respected for years.

To close on a beautiful note: you are a dedicated mom to rescued bulldogs. What have they taught you about presence, grounding, and unconditional love amidst such a driven, high-stakes industry?

Charley Young A fan sent me a video of a bulldog named Achilles who was facing euthanasia at an overloaded shelter in Los Angeles. My dad watched it, started crying, and next thing I knew, my mom and I were on a flight to LA to rescue him. While at the shelter, the staff informed me they had a baby bulldog with severe special needs who also needed a home. I told them to put him right in the car, and we drove them 3,000 miles back to Florida.

That baby dog is Pablo, and he was diagnosed with spina bifida. The veterinary specialists in Florida sat us down and gave us a dismal prognosis, explaining how miserable dogs with spinal deformities are and hinting that he should be put down. Meanwhile, Pablo was sitting right on the table smiling at her! She finally sighed and said, "Well, I guess he’s happy."

Pablo completely taught me never to let external people place arbitrary limits on your life. They told me he would never walk, but if you hold up a treat, he can jump incredibly high and run perfectly. He has no concept that he is any different from a standard dog; he just embraces life with pure joy.

[Image comparing Achilles' and Pablo's rescue transformations]

Achilles was initially incredibly defensive, edgy, and aggressive due to past abuse. I simply flooded him with consistent love, and he transformed into the absolute sweetest companion. It taught me that when you encounter hostile people in daily life, their anger is often a mask for deep-seated fear because they don't feel safe. They need someone to look them in the eye and ask, "Are you okay?"

My dogs have taught me true unconditional love. I feed them peanut butter treats right before interviews so they don't bark on the mic! They have completely erased my loneliness and are the absolute light of my life.

Sandeep Kulkarni That is beautiful. Suraaj has seen him on camera many times, but my previous dog, Trooper, was a Husky-German Shepherd mix who lived to be 14 and a half. He used to sit right in front of me and howl along when I practiced my vocals.

My current rescue is Kodiak, a massive 125-pound German Shepherd. He was found wandering completely abandoned in the wilderness of Mount Baldy in LA before we rescued him through a specialist German Shepherd rescue in Orange County. He is pure muscle and possesses an incredible soul. The second I strike a note on my harmonium to practice my daily vocal scales, he runs downstairs, rests his head on my lap, and sits peacefully throughout the entire rehearsal.

Charley Young That is spectacular! Some owners in LA are truly irresponsible, leaving these magnificent dogs stranded in the mountains. Dogs have an undeniable appreciation for music and hold distinct sonic preferences.

Suraaj Parab Charley, listening to your story directly is profoundly moving. You are an elite athlete, a theatrical performer, a cinematic director, a canine advocate, and a survivor who has successfully mastered her own narrative. Looking across your multi-faceted identities, what core part of your spirit are you still fiercely protecting, and what milestones are you reaching toward next?

Charley Young Right now, my singular mission is to continuously step into the most authentic, unfiltered version of myself. Before the trauma of losing my grandfather shifted my personality at 11 years old, I possessed a childhood fearlessness. When you are five years old, you aren't afraid of social judgment. You aren't afraid to speak your absolute truth, love fiercely, or be intensely weird. You are simply fully present in life.

I still wrestle with severe performance anxiety—I was incredibly anxious about recording this podcast today! But I am working to reclaim that childhood bravery, knowing that I have a good heart and that if people don't accept my intensity, it is entirely an external issue. I want to use my platform to fiercely advocate for others, contribute positive energy to our world, and connect with brilliant minds across the globe.

Suraaj Parab We love and respect your spirit completely, Charley.

Charley Young I love you guys too! I am a total nerd who loves continuous learning, and I am so excited to follow your podcast journey. Just make sure you don't book any guests who suck, because I will immediately write you a note asking why they are on our show!

Sandeep Kulkarni (01:24:11.436) We will absolutely hold ourselves to that standard! Suraaj and I don't restrict our ears to a single lane; we are constantly sharing distinct global music back and forth, from Arabic vocal tracks to traditional African chants. The Artist Conversation will continue to expand to bring in raw, unfiltered perspectives from pioneers across the globe. We should absolutely invite your friend Mark Marcel onto the show.

Suraaj Parab I actually just listened to Mark’s album Black Shaman yesterday and sent him a message on Instagram praising his work. He has an extraordinary vocal delivery and command of language, much like Sandeep.

Charley Young You absolutely must have him on! I can't wait to connect with him at the Grammys. On his track "No More Gurus", he brilliantly calls out the pretension of westerners who take a brief spiritual trip to India, discard their birth names, adopt an exotic title, and return demanding thousands of dollars to sell "enlightenment." He calls out that fake behavior directly, reminding everyone that authentic spirituality is universally accessible to all human souls for free. You don't need a corporate guru named Brandon or Doug to access the universe. Just be yourself.

Suraaj Parab That is the ultimate truth. It was an honor speaking with you, Charley. Thank you for your generosity and time.

Charley Young Thank you, Suraaj and Sandeep. You guys are awesome.

Sandeep Kulkarni To our listeners, thank you for sharing in this raw and empowering dialogue. Subscribe to our YouTube channel, join our international community of creators on Discord via the links below, and stream Charley Young’s vibrant catalog across Spotify, iTunes, and her official website. We will see you all on the next episode of The Artist Conversation. Thank you, everyone!